The global death toll due to Covid-19 pandemic has now crossed 108,700 even as the US eclipsed Italy's death tally for the highest in the world on Saturday at about 20,000. France reported a fall in daily deaths from Covid-19 while Mainland China reported 99 new confirmed coronavirus cases, a jump from the previous day. Meanwhile, amid speculations whether the lockdown will be extended across India, the number of cases in the country rose by more than 900, taking the total cases to over 8,000. Some states including Maharashtra, Punjab and Telangana have already announced an extension of the lockdown. In a video-conference with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, the chief ministers of several states had suggested him to extend the period of lockdown to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

 coronavirus outbreak is very close to its peak in the US, a top American health official said on Sunday as more than 20,000 people have lost their lives due to Covid-19 in the country.

The deadly virus, to which medical science so far has not been able to find either a vaccine or a successful therapeutic solution, has killed over 20,000 Americans and infected more than 5.3 lakh, the highest in the world.